George watkinson



(No Model.)

G, WATKINSON. RUBBER BQOT 0R SHOE.

.224. Patented July 14, 1885.

N, PEYERS. mwumo n mr. Washingifln, a, o

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE WATKINSON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, .ASSIGNOR TO THE L. CANDEE 82; CO.,

OF SAME PLACE.

RUBBER BOOT OR SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part; of Letters Patent No. 322,224, dated July 14, 1885. i

Application filed May 18 1895. (No model.)

part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a face View of the sole, showing the projections of lozengeshape; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 3, a face view showing the projections in the form oftransverse ribs; Fig. 4, a longitudinal section of the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in india-rubber boots and shoes, with specialrefcrence to that class of boots and shoes in which an overlying sole is applied, extending from the shank to the toe, commonly called tap-soles, and is an improvement on the invention for which Letters Patent No. 282,423 were granted to me July 31, 1883.

Previous to that invention tap-soles had been made of an equal thickness from shank to toe; but to avoid the early destruction of the shoe by the greater wear which comes upon the sole at the ball, I construct the sole thick at the ball and gradually diminished in thickness toward the toe and shank. While that invention fully accomplishes the object so far as wear is concerned, it stiffens the sole to a very considerable extent, and is not as comfortable as a thinner sole. To obviate this difficulty is the object of my present invention; and it consists in constructing the sole with projections upon its wearing-surface, the said projections gradually diminishing in ex tent toward the toe and shank, and as more fully hereinafter described.

In carrying out my invention I make the body A of the sole of substantially uniform thickness from toe to shank; but upon its outer or wearing surface I raise projections ct b c d, &c., which projections are of the greatest extent at the ball, as a, and gradually diminishing in extent of projection toward the toe and shank, as seen in Fig. 2. As represented in Figs. 1 and 2, these projections are of lozenge shape, and in seriestransversely across the" sole; but the projections may be made in the form of transverse ribs, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, or they may be of any desirable shape or design. By thus making the projections in series or in ribstransversely across the sole, the body of the sole may be left quite thin between the ribs, and the projections offer but slight resistance to the bending of the sole, or very much less than when the sole is solid, as in my previous patent. In fact, the flexibility of the sole is substantially as free as if there were no projections upon the wearing-surface; but the projections taking the wear, the increased extent of the projection at the ball where the greatest wear comes, and the gradual diminishing toward the toe and shank as the wear diminishes, give to the sole the increased wear provided for in my previous patent, but yet retain the elasticity of the thinner or uniform thickness" of sole.

The projections are formed on the face of the sole in the process of rolling the material from which the soleis cut, so that the projections and sole itself are integral.

What I claim as my invention is, as an ,im-

provelnent upon the invention described in Letters Patent No. 282,423- j The herein-described tap sole forindia-rubher boots and shoes, consisting in the tap sole, liavlng projections on its wearing surface, diminishing in extentof projection from the ball of the foot toward the toe and shank, substantially as described.

Witnesses:

J OHN E. EARLE, J 0s. 0. EARLE.

, enonen WATKINSON. a 

